Classic Series: Spoils of Time

I only have hard copies of two of the books, but can you tell how many times I have read them both?

One of my favorite things to do is dive deep into a series and spend a few weeks in another time, world or perspective. With more time on my hands to read these days, I’ve been enjoying a few new ones, but wanted to share what I regard as a “classic” series, the Spoils of Time by Penny Vincenzi.

Book titles: No Angel, Something Dangerous and Into Temptation.

Plot summary: The series starts just before the first World War and focuses on Celia Lytton, the dynamic daughter of wealthy aristocrats who runs a publishing company with her husband in London. A thoroughly modern woman for the time, she steamrolls her way through her life making decisions that impact everyone around her without much care. From affairs to adoptions, financial conflicts, family members at war and going to actual war, each book traces the next generation and how their lives are intertwined. The first book focuses on Celia, the second book on her twin daughters Adele and Venetia, and the third on Barty Miller her adopted daughter, although all of the characters are present throughout. I love the focus on the strong female family members and how they all succeed and suffer because of how things were changing for women during this period.

Good for: People who love historical fiction or watched Downton Abbey. The level of detail and the setting against a tumultuous time makes the plot compelling and moving- and also gives everything a heightened sense of urgency and drama. It’s just the right amount of soapy, with a few clear villains and some very good secrets.